Mustache Institute moves to Pittsburgh

City has rich history of facial hair, including Steelers and Pirates of the 1970s

July 13, 2013

PITTSBURGH — — Bar none, Pittsburgh is becoming quite the stylish metropolis when it comes to mustaches, of all things.

The self-proclaimed doctor of mustachology Aaron Perlut announced Friday that the American Mustache Institute is moving its headquarters from St. Louis to Pittsburgh.

The Mustached American of the Year for 2012, Adam Causgrove, 29, of Mount Washington, will take over as CEO of the institute.

"We embraced humor as the medium to deliver our messages," said Perlut, wearing a lab coat and pants depicting different styles of mustaches — the pencil, the professor, the handlebar and the walrus. "Adam is a great leader and has the ability to grasp the humor of the organization that is needed to further us."

Causgrove quipped, "It is with moderate humility and extreme attractiveness that I take this position."

The new headquarters will be located in the West End, which Causgrove called "one of the most mustache-friendly areas not only in the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County area but in the country."

City Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, whose district includes the West End, said she thinks "it will bring recognition and notoriety to Pittsburgh like it did to St. Louis."

"It will help serve as a component to champion great causes," she added.

The American Mustache Institute says it has more than 30,000 members. Founded in 1965, it touts itself as the "world's leading facial-hair advocacy organization."

Andrew Miskowlec, secretary of the Steel City Beard and Mustache Club, said American Mustache Institute's move to Pittsburgh will affect the region both financially and socially.

"It will add to the diverse nature of Pittsburgh," he said. "This is one great thing for our city, and it will contribute to Pittsburgh becoming a first-rate facial hair city."

Perlut noted Pittsburgh teams, such as the Steelers and Pirates of the 1970s, were littered with mustached mean.

The institute's annual 'Stache Bash, a charity event where the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year is named, will be held Oct. 26 at the Buckhead Saloon in Station Square.

This year's bash will benefit Step to Independence, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit focused on children with motor disabilities.